Ted Cruz once again accused the upcoming Barbie movie of pushing “Chinese communist propaganda” - even though he hasn’t seen it.
For weeks, the Texas senator has zeroed in on a scene from a trailer showing a world map of a contested area in the South China Sea.
Sen Cruz said in an interview with The Daily Signal: “There’s a scene in ‘Barbie,’ where there is this map of the world, and it’s drawn like with crayon. I mean, it’s really a very simple cartoon. And so they have this blockish thing that is called ‘Asia.’ And then they’ve drawn what are called the nine-dashes.”
He was referring to the “nine-dash line” used on Chinese maps, showing what it claims is its territory within the South China Sea.
“This is Chinese communist propaganda in which the Chinese are asserting sovereignty over the entirety of the South China Sea,” the Texas Republican continued. “And they don’t have any right to it under international law, but they are trying to take it away from their neighbors there.”
This isn’t the first time Mr Cruz has made these accusations about the highly anticipated movie. Earlier this month he accused the film of “pushing Chinese propaganda” when the trailer was released.
His spokesperson told The Daily Mail at the time: “Senator Cruz has been fighting for years to prevent American companies, especially Hollywood studios, from altering and censoring their content to appease the Chinese Communist Party.”
Sen Cruz also isn’t the only one upset about the movie—even before it has debuted in theaters. Vietnam also said it would ban the movie from being released in the country due to the controversial map.
The wife of Florida Republican Rep Matt Gaetz also voiced her qualms about the film. “Thinking about watching the Barbie movie? I’d recommend sticking to getting outfit inspiration and skipping the theater,” Ginger Gaetz tweeted, alongside photos of herself and her husband dressed in pink outfits.
She continued, “Here’s why: The Barbie I grew up with was a representation of limitless possibilities, embracing diverse careers and feminine empowerment. The 2023 Barbie movie, unfortunately, neglects to address any notion of faith or family, and tries to normalize the idea that men and women can’t collaborate positively (yuck).”
